Animal model preparation
Six adult male New Zealand rabbits weighing an average of 2-3 kg, were
used in this sub-study. Each rabbit was given an overdose of
pentobarbital sodium (30 mg/kg intravenously) and was anticoagulated
with heparin (180 IU/kg), the chest was open and heart was quickly
excised and placed in cold cardioplegic
resolution([K+]0=8mM; 4℃).
PVs, SVC, right atrium (RA) and left atrium (LA) were isolated from
atrium. The preparations were placed in a small tissue bath and
super-fused with Tyrode’s solution. Tyrode’s solution contains: (mmol/L)
NaCl 137, NaHCO3 15, KCl 4, CaCl2 2.7,
MgCl2 0.5, NaH2PO4 0.5
and glucose 11 (pH 7.4). The tissue was super-fused at tissue bath with
Tyrode’s solution at 5ml/minute rate and 37℃.